Sign construction



p 1953 J. HOWENSTINE 2,651,864

SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 2 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. JA M65 A HOWE/JUNE Sept. 15, 1953 J. A. HOWENSTINE SIGN CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1951' IN VEN TOR. JAMES A. HOWE/VST/NE Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGN CONSTRUCTION James A. Howenstine, Lima, Ohio, ,assignor to Neon Products, Inc., Lima, Ohio, a corporation Application Novemb 1951, Serial o- 254, 8

Claims. ;-.1

This invention relatesgto ,a sign structure and more particularly, to a s ign having an illumimated e p id s 1W j qra vi lu in e bands.

An Object o ihi ia afi n i wm i asi having a c rative d 11 94 ,ba'a w min ing the face at the, thereof.

A further object of this .inventionis to provide a sign panel having adish-shaped portion provided with a rim-whiohis lighted by transmitted light.

A further object -of this invention is to provide a sign structure in which a dish-shaped body member and a faoe plate that covers the opening of the body member are both provided with decorativeillu ninated bands.

The above andlother-objects and features of the invention willlimpartg be apparent and will in part be obvious from tliefiollowing detailed description, and the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a View, in 'front'elevation showing a sign constructed in accondanoewith an embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view pf, the sign with the face panel thereof removedj Fig. 3 is anenIarged-vieWin section taken along a line III III of Fig.I1; Y

Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryenlarged .view in section taken along'a line .IV-'- -.-IV in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentarvfviewpartly in front elevation andpartly jbrokeniavvayiand in .section showing a sig ngconstructed in accordance with another embodimentlof' this invention; and

Fig. 6 is a View in section-taken on a line Vl-VI in Fig. ,.5. 4

In Figs. 1-4 inclusive .is,.shown.a. sign which includes a dish shaped body, member Ill and an arched face panel 12. .As shownYinFig. 3, body member ill is providedgwith a sidewall I3 which projects substantiallyat right angles to back wall it. At the mouth of' the bedynmember is provided a peripheral.[flange'16 extending radially outward thereof. ,Flange IGQterminates in a peripheral edge ll. Edgel'l projectsforwardly from the main portion of flang'e l6 and outward- 1y at an angle" of'approximately 45 thereto and terminatesin afront face 18. Face lB is substantially perpendicular. to the axis of the dishshaped body member.

The body member isfor ned of transparent light-conducting material, such as the methyl methacrylate resin known as L, 1cite,. .or ffBlexiglas. The body member supports a circular fluorescent lighting tube or lamp l9 which illuminates the sign and appropriate electrical units l9 and IQ for illuminating the lamp. The lamp is disposed in the cavity of the body member and rests onlugs 2%. Lugs 28 are attached to the backing member and form supports for tie wires '26. Tie wires .29 extend around the lamp and hold the'lamp in such position that light from lamp l9 enters flange [6 at the mouth ofthe body member and is transmitted or piped through the fiange to face it. Face [8 is roughened so'that itis brightly illuminated by light transmitted from lamp I9.

The face. panel 52 covers and closes the mouth of the body member 10. Panel 52 is outwardly arched for strength. At ,the edge of the central or main portion of panel 22 is provided a radially extending edge portion 2i. Edge portion 2| terminates in a peripheral flange 22. Flange 22 is turned toward flange it substantially at right angles to edge portion ii. The face panel ii is supportedon spacers ,23 and secured to flange [6' by s'crewsit. .As shown in Fig. 4, each screw 24 passes through its spacer 23. The face panel so mounted is spaced from the body member.

The sign may be hung with, the face plate and body member'in upright position as shown in Fig. 1 by means of appropriate hangers 25. In this position, the face panel l2 forms the front of the sign.

Face panel l2 isformed of transparent, lightconducting material, which may be of the same type as employed in construction of the body member. The interior of panel 12 is covered with a layer or.layers oftranslucent paint 26. The paint 26 may be applied in such manner as to form indicia 2'! (Fig. 1). t

The face 28 of flangej22 adjacent the fiange E6 of the body member is unpainted, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, and is spaced a short distance from the flange of thebody member, so that light from lamp It enters the, face 28 and is piped through the flange; 22 to illuminate the edge of the face panel, forming a decorative lighted border or band for the face I8.

Body memberlil with the exception of flange it, may be covered with an exterior coating of paint or the like,of sufficient thickness to render it, opaque. The firstor inner coat of paint on the backing member may be of a'white or other light color so as to reflect light from tube l9 forwardly toward the front panel. .The light refiectingcoat of paint is covered with an outer layer or coat of dark opaque paint. Since the flange I6 is clear or transparent, the face it thereof is brightly illuminated and has the appearance of being unattached to either the sign face or body member. The front panel is illuminated in part by light transmitted therethrough and in part by the light piped through the edge thereof.

In Figs. and 6 is shown a double-faced sign, the sign being provided with two face panels 30 and 3|, both of which are illuminated by a single lamp 33. The face panels face in opposite directions as shown in Fig. 6 and are both attached to a common frame or ring 34. Ring 34 is of generally U-shape in section. Each leg of the U-shaped ring is provided with a flange 36, and each flange terminates in a face 31 facing in the same direction as one of the face panels. The ring is formed of transparent, light-piping material so that light from the lamp is piped to faces 31. Faces 31 are roughened to cause them to be brightly illuminated by the light piped thereto. As shown in the drawing, a layer of opaque paint 38 covers a portion of the outer surface of the U-shaped ring but terminates short of the flanges 36 so that light is not transmitted through the portion of the backing ring between flanges 36. When the sign is viewed from either side, one of the illuminated faces 31 surround but appears to be unattached to the sign.

Each of the face panels and 3| of the sign shown in Fig. 5 may be similar in construction to the face panel of the sign illustrated in the other figures.

As shown in the drawing, the lamp 33, and electrical units 39 and 40 for illuminating the lamp, are attached to a cross shaped bracket 4|. The ends of bracket 4| are attached to the inside of backing ring 34, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. The sign can be hung by means of appropriate hangers, not shown, which may be attached to the outside of ring 3 5.

The sign structures described above and illustrated in the drawing, are subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An illuminated sign which comprises a onepiece dish-shaped body member of transparent,

light-conducting material having a flange extending radially outwardly from the mouth thereof and a peripheral flange projecting forwardly and outwardly thereof, said peripheral flange terminating in a forwardly directed lightbleeding front face, a face panel of transparent material closing the mouth of said body member, said face panel comprising a main portion and a peripheral flange projecting at right angles to the main portion toward the flange of the body member, means for attaching the face panel to the body member in closely spaced relation thereto, the face panel terminating inboard of the light-bleeding face of the body member, a translucent coating on the inner face of the face panel, a lamp mounted in the body member, light from the lamp being transmitted through the peripheral flange of the body member to the front face thereof and through the flange of the face panel to produce a pair of spaced, edgelighted bands surrounding the face panel, and an opaque coating on the body member, the coating on the body member terminating behind the flange of the face panel, whereby the portion of the flange of the body member which projects outboard of the face panel is clear, the main portion of the face panel being illuminated by light from the lamp transmitted therethrough.

2. An illuminated sign which comprises a one-piece dish-shaped. body member of transparent, light-conducting material having a flange extending radially outward from the mouth thereof, a face panel of transparent material closing the mouth of said body member, said face panel comprising a main portion and a peripheral flange projecting at right angles to the main portion and toward the flange of the body member, means for attaching the face plate to the body member in closely spaced relation. thereto, a translucent coating on the inner face: of the face panel, a peripheral flange on the body member terminating outboard of the face platein a forwardly facing light-bleeding face, and a. lamp mounted in the body member, light from. the lamp being transmitted through the flangesv of the body member to the light-bleeding face.- thereof and through the flange of the face panel. to produce a pair of spaced, edge-lighted bands. surrounding the face panel, the main portion of the face panel being illuminated by light from. the lamp transmitted therethrough.

3. A sign which comprises an annular member of transparent light-conducting sheet material,. face members on opposite sides of the annularmember to form a closed space therein, a light. source mounted in said space, at least one of said. face members being translucent, said annularmember having a flange projecting outwardly from the rim thereof, said flange being adapted to receive edge light from the lamp, said flan terminating in a light-bleeding face substantially parallel to a plane passing perpendicularly through the axis of said annular member.

4. A sign constructed in accordance with claim 3 characterized by the fact that the annular member is of U-shape in section, the marginal edges of the legs of theU terminating in flanges substantially perpendicular to the legs, the outer edge of each flange being parallel to a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the annular member, andthat the face members are translucent, the outer edges of said U-leg flanges bleeding light to produce the effect of an illumihated border for said face members.

5. A sign which comprises an annular member of transparent light-conducting sheet material having a central cavity, a lamp mounted in said central cavity, said annular member having an outwardly projecting main flange adapted to receive edge light, from the lamp, a translucent face plate attached to the annular member and overlying the cavity of the annular member to be illuminated by the lamp, the annular member having a peripheral flange on the outboard edge of the main flange terminating outboard of the face plate in a light-bleeding face to form an illuminated ring outboard of v the face plate and facing in the same direction as the face plate.

JAMES A. HOWENSTINE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

